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Ex-Sayreville coach could get PTI on steroid charge

The Somerset County Probation Department has recommended that a former Sayreville High School assistant football coach charged with illegal possession of steroids be admitted into a pre-trial intervention (PTI) program.

SOMERVILLE – The Somerset County Probation Department has recommended that a former Sayreville High School assistant football coach charged with illegal possession of steroids be admitted into a pre-trial intervention (PTI) program.

If the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office approves the recommendation, the charges against Charlie Garcia, 38, of South Plainfield, will be dropped when he successfully completes the program.

The final decision whether to allow Garcia, who is free on his own recognizance, to enter the program will be made by a Superior Court judge based on the recommendations of both the probation department and the prosecutor's office.

No connection to bullying

Authorities have said there is no connection between Garcia's arrest and the bullying allegations which prompted Sayreville High School to cancel its football season.

Garcia, who has yet to be indicted, resigned a few days after his arrest.

Garcia was arrested at 8:41 p.m. Sept. 26 after a motor vehicle stop on westbound Route 22 in Bridgewater, according to the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office.

Bridgewater Police Officer Kevin Florczak was checking the parking lot of a Route 22 motel when he saw a 2013 Dodge Ram pickup truck in the parking lot with its engine running and a man, later identified as Garcia, inside, authorities said. The motel was not identified by authorities.

Garcia drove to the exit, and Florczak followed him. Garcia then made an abrupt U-turn and returned to the parking lot, authorities said.

A short time later, Florczak saw Garcia leave the motel and drive west on Route 22. Florczak stopped Garcia after he saw various motor vehicle violations, including an improper lane change, according to the prosecutor's office.

Garcia gave conflicting accounts about his previous whereabouts, the prosecutor's office said. At the time, police did not know that Garcia was a football coach.

Hillsborough Police Officer Chris Englehardt and his K-9 Kondro were called to the scene. An exterior sniff of the vehicle by the dog indicated the presence of drugs in both the driver's side and passenger doors, the prosecutor's office said.

Garcia then gave permission to search, and police found a plastic white bag with two sealed boxes of steroids and 14 individually sealed and capped syringes, according to the prosecutor's office. Each box contained 400 milligrams of steroids, the prosecutor's office said.

Garcia was charged with third-degree illegal possession of steroids, possession of hypodermic needles, driving with an expired license, failure to signal a lane change and possession of a controlled dangerous substance in a motor vehicle.

Supervision of a defendant in the PTI program may average from one to three years.

Conditions, such as random urine monitoring, are imposed on those accepted into PTI. Other conditions may include community service and submission to psychological and/or drug and alcohol evaluations with compliance to recommended treatment programs.

If a defendant successfully completes all the conditions of PTI, then the original charges are dismissed.

If a defendant does not successfully complete the conditions of PTI, then the defendant is terminated from the program and the case is returned to the trial list.